The tragic killing of the two hostages reinforced domestic concerns over Japanese rearmament. If they want to reinforce their (recent) pacifist heritage, so be it. But they should not then expect Washington to protect them. Serious countries defend themselves. They don't turn their futures over to other nations to save a little money.

The U.S. is over-burdened militarily and effectively bankrupt financially, but Washington is determined to preserve every base and deployment, no matter how archaic -- such as the many military facilities in Okinawa.

Although I have been to many of the World Heritage Sites myself, to learn the details on absolutely all of them I turned to the book Japan's World Heritage Sites: Unique Culture, Unique Nature by John Dougill.

Washington needs to recognize that its Pacific pivot is adding insecurity to the region, not stability. With its arms sales and encouragement of ally assertiveness, the United States is bringing peace to the region just like the Colt .45 "Peacemaker" brought peace to the Wild West.

As China becomes increasingly more aggressive to U.S. allies in the region, America's significant presence in Okinawa has never been more necessary. But the devil remains in the details of how 33 military bases across the island can be most efficiently dispersed and leveraged.

The history of the female gurgitator is a short one. From Japan, Takako Akasaka once ate 90 ostrich egg omelets. Known as "The Sweet Queen," in 2000 she decimated New York city pastry shops and ate a then-record 22 Nathan's hot dogs in 12 minutes.

The Washington Times calls Above the East China Sea an "extraordinary effort of the imagination and a major display of literary talent -- an absolutely don't-miss novel that should become a classic contribution to the fiction of our era."

Japan's most iconic season is almost here. Cherry blossom time. Clouds of pink petals cover the nation as the flower front moves slowly north. Every village, town and city lets business-as-usual slide to indulge in days of hanami, flower viewing parties.

Just in case anyone was in doubt of his intentions, Shinzo Abe made a high-profile visit to Yasukuni Shrine in December, the first time for a Japanese prime minister in seven years. The real reason for Abe's visit, which elicited predictable outrage from Korea and China, was that he felt that he could get away with it.

While these healthful groups of people may appear to have widely different diets, there is one common thread: Their intake of processed foods, added sugars, trans fats, and artificial ingredients is minimal, if at all existent.

It cannot be overstated that in Japan, the sakura is serious business. But why are the blossoms so significant? Here's hoping you get out and enjoy them this spring -- perhaps, even, with a little more history than before.

What Senators Biden and McCain understood in 1995 is still true today: the overall effectiveness of U.S. troops depends not only on their skill at arms, but also upon their sense of honor and their respect for human rights.